Paradise: A Bleach Story
by Raging Chimera
Summary: 10 years have passed since the climatic battle between Ichigo Kurosaki and Yhwach. The Soul Society has all but completely rebuilt and Karakura town has found peace. However, a new threat across the Pacific Ocean seeks to take advantage of the Soul Society's victory. With a ploy to shake the Soul Society and the World of the Living, a new Soul Reaper will rise to challenge them.
1. Chapter 0

**Author's Note: This fanfiction is dedicated to the 15 years of Bleach and the 1 year I have spent watching/reading Bleach and playing Bleach Brave Souls. Bleach is the original creation of Tite Kubo and is owned by its respective owners.**

* * *

"Alert the Court Guards! Alert the Soul Reapers! The Hollows are attacking! Run!" Cries of fear and panic echoed through the rainy night skies. Dark, white masked monsters of variable sizes emerged from portals scattered around a Japanese-esque district. They are soon met by a single swordsman, garbed in a black hood, kosode and hakama.

"Thank goodness!" A panicked villager exclaimed. "They all appeared at once! My friends are in trouble! Please, Soul Reaper!"

The hooded Soul Reaper stilled the villager by holding down his shoulders. "Sir, you have my word that I will save your friends. Wait for me to clear the road and follow me!" In a swift movement, he swung the fearful villager away from an attacking Hollow.

"Hado #4: Byakurai!" He shouted as he pointed his finger at the Hollow and fired a blast of concentrated spiritual energy through its head. "Damn it, is the capital under attack too?! There should be more backup for the Rukon District!"

The frightened villager backed himself onto a wooden fence, when he is further frightened by another Soul Reaper, only he is much smaller and younger. He is garbed in a white kosode with blue stripes and blue hakama. His light brown hair is fashioned in a shaggy style.

"Yasuke, what are you thinking?!" Shouted the young Soul Reaper. "The Sereitei needs all the assistance it can get! You are more needed there than in the Rukon District!" He furiously kicked a small, beetle-like Hollow in the air before bisecting it with his sword.

Yasuke adjusted his face-obscuring hood. "Souma, the Sereitei will be well guarded by the Squad Captains. I'll most likely just stand in the way. Besides, I refuse to let the people of the Rukon District suffer from any inaction!" Yasuke brandished his sword, a katana, and made his way to the house, where the villager's friends are trapped.

Souma groaned in protest as he followed. "Seriously, Yasuke. How the hell does your captain tolerate your crap?" He momentarily ceased his banter to strike down other Hollows and open the front door. His eyes widened as a taller, bipedal Hollow descended above him and prepared its sharp claws. However, its otherwise fatal blow was deflected by Yasuke's thrown katana.

"Graduate from the academy as soon as you can, Souma." Yasuke muttered as he grabbed his twirling katana, then delivered a swift, fatal cut across the Hollow's face. "Then you can join the same Squad as me. Until then, more importantly, we must protect the common folk. They've left their lives behind back in the World of the Living. The least we can do is make their time in the afterlife as safe as possible."

Yasuke and Souma quickly made their way through the house. They cleared several rooms before ascending to the second floor. After, they immediately encountered a man and a woman huddled in a corner with a group of fearful children.

"Waaah!" One of the children cried. "Don't let those horrible, horrible monsters eat us!"

Souma sighed in annoyance…and was given a swift smack to the back of his head by Yasuke.

"It's the Soul Reapers!" The adult woman cried out. "Thank goodness! Where is Sakon?!"

Yasuke patted the woman's shoulder reassuringly. "We ran into him when the Hollows attacked. We came here on his request."

As if on cue, Sakon ran up the stairs and sighed in relief. "Ah! You arrived just in time, Soul Reapers!" Sakon frantically circled around the group, particularly the children, for any wounds. "None of you are hurt, right?!"

The older of the two men chuckled lightly, hoping to alleviate some of the tension in the air. "No, Sakon. We've been huddled here for a while. Looks like those monsters were only able to get to the first floor before these brave Soul Reapers disposed of them. Thank you so much. But you better get a move on."

Souma nodded. "He's right, Yasuke. Come on. The Sereitei needs us."

Yasuke paused and adjusted his hood. "No, no, no…something doesn't feel right. I can sense their spiritual pressure from here and, even collectively, it's way too weak. Even for Hollows, they must know the recklessness of their attack." Yasuke continued to mumble to himself as he gazed out of the window.

Souma rubbed his head as he dropped his annoyed tone. "Yasuke, I understand your concern for the Rukon District. But as an official Soul Reaper, you should prioritize the Sereitei's safety. Sure, we…may have lived in the Rukon before, but things have changed. Yasuke?"

Yasuke turned to face Souma. "…The real enemy is hidden there, Souma. Most of the Hollows in the Sereitei are all decoys to distract the captains!" He quickly opened the window wide and prepared to jump.

"Wh-what?!" Yasuke cried out in confusion. "Yasuke, what the hell are you saying?! What are you doing!?"

"Souma, evacuate these people. Call for other Soul Reapers around the area to aid in the evacuation and then call for the Captains. Tell them that Southern Rukon District Number 50, Kamiya, is where the main enemy is!"

"No! I'm not letting you fight by yourself, Yasuke! If what you say is true, we need to work together and take these people away from the area!"

Yasuke shook his head. "There are still people in danger of being devoured by Hollows. I can't risk any Hollow becoming stronger by devouring these innocent, defenseless souls. They need someone to draw their attention."

Souma grunted and reached out for Yasuke in desperation. He managed to grab his hood and pulled it down, which exposed his dark-skinned face with a shaved head. "…Fine. Do what you need to do, Yasuke. But you'd better make sure not a single soul gets eaten. Once I alert everyone, we'll come running straight in your direction."

"I appreciate it a lot, Souma. You'll make a hell of a Soul Reaper." Yasuke flashed a smile before leaping out of the window and onto other rooftops.

"…Alright, you heard the man. We need to get out of here! Follow my lead and we'll meet up with other Soul Reapers!"

As Souma took Sakon and his friends away from the area, Yasuke continued to leap from rooftop to rooftop towards Kamiya. Within minutes, he arrived. "…The air is too still…and where is everyone?" As Yasuke leaped from the roof onto the ground, a terrible pressure suddenly grabbed his chest. "GAH! Wh…where is this feeling coming from…?!"

Just then, as Yasuke attempted to collect himself, a small pebble fell next to him. He quickly turned around and saw an elderly man through a small window.

"There is a monster, Soul Reaper…we are all hiding because we cannot see it…" The elderly man cowered back down from the window.

Yasuke grasped and unsheathed his katana. "How can a mere Hollow have so much spiritual pressure that I can't pinpoint it…?" Suddenly, the doors of the house swung open, from which dozens of dark, rat-like Hollows with white masks leaped!

"Fresh Soul Reaper, yes yes!" One of the Hollow screeched as it eyed Yasuke. Other Hollows made their move by circling around Yasuke and leaping towards him.

"Damn cowards! To use an elderly man as bait!" Yasuke gathered spiritual energy around his feet and made a mighty leap to dodge the onslaught. He then pointed his finger out. "Hado #1, Sho!" A small ball of energy discharged from his finger and landed on the group of Hollows, blasting the lot of them into the ground. Yasuke then brought his katana down onto the ground and sliced the downed Hollows.

"Aaaah!" One of the rat-Hollows cried. "H-he's strong! Swarm him with our numbers!"

Yasuke continued to dodge attacks and counter accordingly. "Enough screwing around; where is your leader?! I felt a spiritual pressure stronger than all of yours combined minutes ago! So how about we cut to the chase, before my Soul Reaper comrades come?"

Suddenly, Yasuke found himself facing the floor. He felt something planted harshly on his back. As he struggled to look back, he noticed the doors of the house open.

"Not too shabby, brave Soul Reaper." The same elderly man spoke to Yasuke in a coy fashion. "But you've played right into my hand." His voice echoed and distorted as he started to inhale, which created a whirlwind within his now unnaturally widened mouth.

" _This spiritual pressure…he is the one_!" Yasuke's thought rang in his head as felt his body about to be drawn into the whirlwind. "You monstrosity…! I'm not going to fall for this!" Yasuke yelled as he is lifted into the air by the man's whirlwind. "Bakudo #4, Hainawa!" Particles of spiritual energy gathered around his hands and gradually turned into yellow sparks. With a thrust of his hand, a yellow sparkling rope shot out of his hand and wrapped around a nearby metal pole. As the rope continued to wrap around the pole, Yasuke gradually distanced himself away from the whirlwind's pull.

"Clever little bastard!" One of the rat-Hollow cried. As it leaped towards Yasuke to prevent his escape, Yasuke delivered a swift kick, which sent it right towards the old man's mouth. Its cries were quickly silenced as it was utterly consumed.

"…Heh. Heheh. Kahahahaha!" The old man laughed as its skin molted, which exposed the true, large muscular Hollow within. Its skin dark green with pale green stripes and its white mask with two large tusks. "Now that was a nice snack! I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner!"

The rat-Hollows cowered in fear. "K-K-Kinoshita! What are you doing?! Don't eat us!" Their screams and pleas are quickly silenced as they are sucked into Kinoshita's whirlwind. Yasuke could only watch as Kinoshita devoured his fellow Hollows.

"That's more like it!" Kinoshita shouted as his muscles grew. "Quite remarkable how a bunch of rats can be so filling! Still, just by your smell, I know you'll taste even better! I hope your Soul Reapers friends are having lots of fun with my minions. I want to gorge myself on this feast." He bared his teeth and slowly licked them. "I see that sword of yours. A Zanpakuto, was it? I know damn well you can release some special power, so let's see it!"

Yasuke disabled Hainawa and landed on the ground. "Damn you!" He jabbed his Zanpakuto into the ground and kneeled before it. "You want to see my power, you fiend?! Fine! **Pound them into dust, Āsusheikā**!" Yasuke brought his fist down onto the grip of Āsusheikā, unleashing a very real tremor. Āsusheikā's sword form changed into a war hammer. Yasuke pulled Āsusheikā from the ground and gripped it tightly. With a light swing, the earth underneath Kinoshita shuddered and rose quickly.

"Gah!" Kinoshita shouted as he is lifted into the air. "So, the land itself is your weapon! How fascinating, but it won't be enough!" After landing, he grabbed a piece of a rat-Hollow's carcass and tossed it at Yasuke.

Yasuke easily deflected the flesh and slammed Āsusheikā down, which caused a sphere of earth to be lifted with spikes of hardened dirt surrounding it. As Kinoshita leaped towards him, Yasuke swung Āsusheikā at the sphere. Kinoshita managed to block the attack itself, but not before innumerably many spikes and shreds of earth had punctured his arms.

"Please! This will hardly slow me down!" Kinoshita used his momentum to shoulder tackle Yasuke.

Yasuke grunted in pain as he is sent flying towards a house. But before he crashed, he lifted his hand and clenched it. "Blast!"

The remnants of the dirt embedded in Kinoshita's arms suddenly started to glow yellow. "What the hell!?" He shouted as he struggled to rip them off his arms. However, it was too late. The dirt glowed brighter and exploded with enough force to bring him to his knees. "GAAAH! DAMN IT!"

Yasuke lifted himself from the rubble and sprinted towards Kinoshita , to exploit his stunned state. He dragged Āsusheikā against the ground as he ran. "You wanted to see my power! Be careful what you ask for!" With a loud shout, he slammed the blunt side of Āsusheikā on the ground right in front of Kinoshita. The ground underneath Kinoshita trembled until it gave way; sinking him until he is neck deep.

Kinoshita struggled to move, but to no avail. "You'd better think twice if you think this is it, Soul Reaper!" He continued to yell and squirm as Yasuke approached him with Āsusheikā raised.

"Be quiet, Hollow." Yasuke said, with his anger now gone. "This little 'invasion' of yours is over." With a grunt, Yasuke swung with the pointed side.

Suddenly, Kinoshita flashed a grin. He moved his teeth and tongue around…then spat a piece of a buck tooth. The momentum of the fragment was heightened by him exhaling his whirlwind, which pierced Yasuke's neck.

"Gnnh!" Yasuke recoiled in pain as he held his neck. He continued to groan in pain as his vision blurred.

"What's wrong, Soul Reaper?" Kinoshita taunted. "Feeling…numb? Running chills? Heheheh. You were lucky until now. Those rat-Hollows contained a special poison within their buck teeth. Hoooooooh!" Kinoshita inhaled once again to draw Yasuke in.

"N-no!" Yasuke shouted as pulled the tooth from his neck. A dark red mark spread from the wound. He jabbed his feet into the ground to prevent himself from being drawn to Kinoshita. After a loud shout, he jabbed his index and middle finger into the side of his neck. The dark red mark gradually started to shrink.

"You can't be serious!" A bewildered Kinoshita stared in disbelief. "How can you resist their poison!?" Fueled by rage, he exhaled at the ground. He successfully broke enough of the ground surrounding him to use his arms. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

As Kinoshita started to climb out of the ground, Yasuke caught his breath and glared at him. "My name is Yasuke Akechi. 3rd Seat of Squad 10. As for the poison…that's none of your damn business!"

Yasuke's Āsusheikā and Kinoshita's fist came into contact as they both attacked. A powerful shockwave of spiritual energy nearly shook the entire district of Kamiya and sent both combatants flying in different directions. Yasuke was the first to get his bearings as he quickly ran towards Kinoshita. Kinoshita ran to squeeze inside an alleyway, but was quickly blocked by a dirt wall with spikes, created by Yasuke.

"You're going nowhere!" Yasuke shouted as he spun Āsusheikā around, gathering dust, dirt and rocks around it. " **Bask in the gifts of Earth! Harness it and rain destruction!** " Yasuke pounded the bottom of his war hammer on the ground to make it rise underneath his feet. This gave him a boosted jump towards Kinoshita.

Kinoshita angrily growled…until he caught sight of a boy hiding behind a couple of boxes. The boy gasped and tried to flee. However, Kinoshita's exhaled whirlwind drew the innocent boy closer. "Checkmate, Soul Reaper! NOW what will you do?!" He grabbed the boy's arm and tossed him at Yasuke.

"N-No!" Yasuke screamed as he barely stopped his swing. From behind the boy, Yasuke noticed Kinoshita open his mouth once again. From it, a long tongue shot forth, aiming for both the boy and him. Yasuke grunted as he pushed the boy away and tossed Āsusheikā near him, which softened the ground to lessen the impact of his fall. This small moment, however, provided Kinoshita the opening he needed to pierce Yasuke's chest. His eyes widened as white spiritual energy slowly moved from his body down the tongue.

"Too bad, Soul Reaper. Your soul will become a part of me!" Kinoshita taunted Yasuke with a confident laugh. The boy could only stare in horror as his savior drew closer to death's door.

"Gnh…guh…agh…" Yasuke's skin gradually grew pale. In addition, the red mark on his neck slowly grew again. "Th-the poison…ACK! GUGH!" Yasuke suddenly fell into a coughing fit, much to Kinoshita's delight.

"M-mister Soul Reaper…" The boy gripped the softened earth beneath him and fought back tears. "Y... YOU CAN'T DIE! YOU SAVED MY LIFE! LET HIM GO, YOU MONSTER!"

Suddenly, a figure leaped in between Kinoshita and Yasuke and sliced the former's tongue in half. Kinoshita roared in pain as the rest of his tongue retracted back, with a portion of Yasuke's soul.

"S…Souma…" Yasuke muttered as he grasped his neck and dropped to his knees.

"Yasuke…!" Souma cried as he came to Yasuke's side. "Hang in there, you hear me!? Back up is coming! Yasuke!"

Yasuke slowly brought himself back on his knees and picked Āsusheikā up. "Souma…grab the boy." Yasuke could barely contain his coughs. "I…I need to finish this…"

"Have you lost your damn mind!?" Souma shouted. "You're in no shape to fight! You-"

"I'm a dead man walking!" Yasuke lifted Āsusheikā high, using what little remained of his strength. "I've been poisoned, Souma…I suppressed it with my spiritual pressure. But that monster managed to siphon a piece of my soul. Enough to…weaken my resistance…I don't have much time…Take the boy away from here."

"Stop spewing that crap, Yasuke! You can hold off by not fighting! Some of the captains are about to converge here!"

Kinoshita stood tall over Yasuke, Souma and the boy. "Too bad you bunch will be resting in my stomach by the time they arrive! Now let's finish what I started!"

"RUN! NOW!" Yasuke let out a yell as he dragged Āsusheikā against the ground again and ran towards Kinoshita. He began to recite an incantation, but numerous coughing fits prevented him from completing it. Kinoshita grinned to mock his frailty, as he snatched him in mid-air and slammed him into the ground. He then stomped on Āsusheikā.

"Just make it easier for yourself. You'll fare a lot better as a part of me than suffering from the poison."

"Idiot…" Yasuke muttered. "You fell for it." Āsusheikā started to vibrate in place. The ground underneath them rose and coiled around them. " **Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Bakudo #61, Rikujokoro!** " A yellow spark of energy shone from his palm, which split apart into six beams. Each of them stabbed Kinoshita through the rocks and completely immobilized him.

"Heh…. kahahahahaha!" Kinoshita burst out laughing. "Your spell is wavering! You're too weak to maintain it!" The six beams shook as Kinoshita let out a roar.

"You think I don't know that…?" Yasuke lifted his hand and smirked. "The spell only bought me more time." The large chunk of earth coiled around them started to glow yellow. "You've hit me good, Hollow…but I will not give you the satisfaction of eating my entire soul!"

Souma, who held the boy as he ran, felt the sudden increase of spiritual pressure and turned around. "Y-Yasuke…?"

The boy pointed behind Souma and tugged on his sleeve. "I-I see a group of people running over here!"

Souma gasped and placed the boy down. "Those are the other Soul Reapers! Please be Yasuke's Squad…HEY! OVER HERE! Kid, go to them! They will take you to a safe spot!" Souma sprinted back to Yasuke and Kinoshita.

"You're prepared to kill yourself, rather than suffer through the poison or be consumed?!" Kinoshita let out a yell again to overpower Yasuke's Rikujokoro spell. "AS IF!"

Yasuke smiled lightly as he finished coughing. His once dark skin is now dark red with blue bulging veins. "Too late for your bravado…" From the corner of his eye, he spotted Souma. "Souma…its already started. You need to leave…."

Souma shook his head furiously. "No! Help arrived! They'll help you! Cease your attack!"

"Souma, a piece of my soul is gone and the poison has almost reached my whole body!...Souma, listen to me…" Yasuke coughed as the rock formation glowed brighter. "Become the best Soul Reaper you can be. This is the true duty of a Soul Reaper: to protect the weak and innocent from evil and keep the Soul Society the paradise it needs to be."

Two Soul Reapers, a man and a woman, landed next to Souma. The man was muscular with spiky black hair, and stubble facial hair on his cheeks and chin. The woman had shoulder length blonde hair with a beauty mark on the right side of her mouth. Yasuke only frowned at them.

"Captain…lieutenant…" Yasuke coughed as he clenched his hand harder. "AGH…READY…KINOSHITA?!"

Kinoshita gasped in fear. "Did seeing them give you the damn balls to call me by my name?! You have no right to be so damn smug, YOU DEAD MAAAAN!"

As Kinoshita continued to yell and scream, Yasuke's rock formation became completely engulfed in the yellow energy. As Yasuke smiled and closed his eyes, the yellow energy exploded into a rising pillar of destructive spiritual energy. Bits and pieces of the ground circled rapidly around before being sucked into the pillar.

Souma could only stare as his friend became engulfed in his own destructive attack. Yasuke's captain grabbed his sleeve and leaped away, with his lieutenant following. "Yasuke..." Souma continued to utter Yasuke's name as he looked on without blinking.

The destructive pillar faded away. The remaining pieces of earth in the air crashed down into a newly created small crater. At the center of the crater, lied the remains of Yasuke's charred body. It was devoid of a head and both arms. Before Souma could react, something rose from the dirt. To their surprise…

"Y…y…. you DAMNED SOUL REAPER!" From the dirt rose a heavily wounded, but alive Kinoshita. He looked around and noticed more Soul Reapers surrounding the crater. "H-heh…hehehe…it wasn't enough! I'm still here!" With a weak laugh, he slashed the air in front of him, which created a dark portal.

"GET THE HELL OVER HERE!" Souma screamed as he drew his Zanpakuto. He leaped into the crater as other Soul Reapers gave chase as well. However, Kinoshita slowly walked inside the portal and waved at Souma before it closed. Souma's attack only managed to hit thin air. He paused as his left eye twitched and slowly turned his head to look at Yasuke's corpse. " **A….A….AAAAAAAAAAAAH! YASUKE!** " Souma continued to scream into the night sky in a mix of despair and rage before he collapsed…

Hours passed by and dawn approached. Yasuke's captain watched solemnly as Yasuke's corpse and an unconscious Souma were carried away by Soul Reapers under his command. Residents of the Kamiya area flocked to assist them and look at the damage caused by Yasuke's suicidal attack.

"Captain Isshin Shiba…" A Soul Reaper approached Yasuke's captain. He glanced at Souma before he looked back at his captain.

"…I'll speak to Souma once he awakens." Captain Shiba exhaled as he pinched his nose bridge.

The blonde-haired lieutenant approached him. "No, I'll talk to him instead." In her hand lied a small book.

"Rangiku?" Captain Shiba questioned. "Hm…I usually don't say this, but I guess that would be best. This whole mess means paperwork only I can fill out. Hey, what's that book?"

"The academy student's journal. He dropped it during all the excitement...no, no, I didn't read it! I only…skimmed through the title pages. Poor boy…from what I've read, he was supposed to visit the World of the Living for a fishing trip with Yasuke. 'April 20th, 1961.' Today…"


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This fanfiction is dedicated to the 15 years of Bleach. Bleach is the original creation of Tite Kubo and is owned by its respective owners.**

 **Long overdo, yes, but that is life. Any feedback, comments and what not are wanted and welcomed.**

* * *

Fifty years have passed. It is now the year 2012. A dark skinned young man, clad in a navy-blue uniform, examined his face from a bathroom mirror. He sighed as he straightened his uniform and his posture. His self-inspection is suddenly interrupted by a deep, raspy voice.

"It's almost time, Lieutenant Reed.", called the voice. Sounds of footsteps echoed behind the door.

Reed gave his clean-shaven face one a last pass before leaving, stoic expression betraying a sense of anxiety hidden within. The hallway which led to an auditorium seemingly stretched longer and longer, the more Reed walked on. After quite possibly the most agonizing minute of his life, he reached the auditorium, where a small group of U.S Navy officers are seated. A tall, middle-aged officer in a white Navy dress uniform stood by the podium and nodded towards Reed.

"Ah, Lieutenant Joshua Reed." He gave a warm smile towards the young soldier. "You're just in time."

Joshua approached the podium, trying his damndest to remained focused. He gave a light smile to the man. "Good morning, Captain Sullivan." They greeted with a firm hand shake.

"Good morning indeed, lad." Sullivan lightly nudged his head to the side. "Some special guests came to the ceremony for ya. Why don't you grab a seat next to them while we get started?"

The sternness on Joshua's face relented as his eyes scanned the audience. On the left side of the auditorium sat a dark-skinned woman around her 50's with black, shoulder-length hair. Beside her was a young Latina woman with straight, dark brown hair. They both gave Joshua a warm smile and brief wave before maintaining a professional and respectable demeanor. Even as Joshua took his seat right next to them, they all remained quiet out of respect.

Captain Sullivan cleared his throat and straightened his papers. "Good morning, everyone, my name is captain We are gathered in today's promotional ceremony in recognition of lieutenant Joshua Reed and his promotion to Lieutenant-Commander. For more than a decade, Joshua Reed has spent his life in the Navy, helping to serve his country and protect her people from threats from threats the world over. We are joined by his mother, Claire Reed, and his fiancée, Brianna Vega…"

As captain Sullivan continued his speech, Brianna glanced at Joshua. Her lips parted, barely holding back words that yearned for an out. As much as she wanted to speak, she knew it would be best not to interrupt. Her thoughts are eventually cut off when she noticed Joshua stand up, joining captain Sullivan at the podium.

"Attention to orders." Captain Sullivan resumed as the whole room rose from their seats. "…In view of his special qualities and potential to serve in higher grades, Joshua Reed is promoted to the permanent rank of lieutenant commander in the U.S Navy as of November 25th, 2012…"

As captain Sullivan continued his speech, Brianna's eyes wandered off into space, then to Joshua. She smiled, but continued to resist the urge to speak for the sake of etiquette. Her attention is finally brought back as Joshua gets near her.

"Its time for the insignias, Bri." Joshua whispered, as he gently patted her shoulder. "Just like we rehearsed?"

Brianna giggled and shook her head. "Count on the pin being upright this time, Josh."

They both stood up and made their way to the podium. Brianna is presented the pins and insignias by Joshua's mother. As Joshua stood next to Sullivan, Brianna started to stick the long-awaited pins on Joshua's sleeves and shoulders, ending on the note of placing the golden leaf.

That evening, Joshua and Brianna ate dinner. Brianna's previous excitement seemed to give way to melancholy, which only escalated as she glanced at Joshua. Joshua broke silence the very moment he noticed.

"Bri, what's wrong?" Joshua questioned as he patted a napkin over his lips.

"What do you mean?" Brianna sighed. "You'll be deploying again, soon. I know it. You don't need to keep quiet because we're here, Josh."

Joshua paused before he breathed in. "…How much did you hear from the news?"

"Something like, 'Notorious scumbag gun-runner, Death's Hand, found on an island in the Pacific.' You can't tell me much else now, right?"

Joshua solemnly shook his head. "No. But he _is_ cornered. There'll be no escape for the son of a bitch."

"As much as I want to agree, you don't know what someone is capable of when their back's to the wall. They could lash out like a wild animal. All I'm saying is come back safe, Joshua. You don't know how badly I want you to just…just stay and visit my job. It's been too long since the first time."

Joshua responded with a light hug. "That's a promise. You can count on it."

"You're damn right about that."

Sullivan approached the table as the two of them stood up. "Its getting rather late, Lieutenant Commander. Have you enjoyed yourself?"

"Yes, sir. I couldn't ask for a better evening."

Sullivan gave Joshua a nod and looked at Brianna. "I know you're worried about him, Brianna. But he'll be home before you know it. Once we bring that so-called 'Death's Hand' to justice."

"Right…" Brianna replied with a stern glare in her eyes. Her gaze then turned to a nearby television screen, where an anchorman gave a report.

"…Details surrounding the location or even the identity of Death's Hand has yet to be confirmed. But there has been a video allegedly uploaded by Death's Hand."

The broadcast transitioned to a video of a barely lit room, with a silhouette sitting on a stool. His voice was masked by a distorted changer.

"The only truth in this world is death. My gift to the world is death. For every soul that is taken by my business, is another soul who discovers said truth…"  
The broadcast continued as Brianna and Joshua gathered their belongings. As Brianna prepared to leave, she found herself staring at the full moon outside the nearby window…

Two days later, the same full moon shone down on a formation of ships, which sailed across the Pacific Ocean. On an amphibious command ship labeled, 'USS Rolling Thunder', Joshua stood on the deck. He stared at the unending, almost unmoving body of water that surrounded the vessel. His stare was disturbed by a series of footsteps, which belonged to captain Sullivan.

"Look alive, Lieutenant Commander." Sullivan stood firm next to Joshua and observed the numerous vessels sailing alongside theirs. "Never gets old, does it? The sight of a mighty fleet; a splendid show of force. We've got that anarchist dead to rights."

Joshua straightened his posture and walked with Sullivan. "We would, if our orders weren't to capture him."

Sullivan scoffed. "Orders are orders…though between you and me, I'd love to see that bastard kick the bucket. All that lovely rhetoric about death; I want to see him face his own mortality…get ready, Lieutenant Commander! In the matter of hours, we will be approaching the coordinates! This so called, 'Death's Hand' is gonna have the Navy and Marine on his doorstep!"

As Sullivan and Joshua walked to their positions, VTOLs from a nearby aircraft carrier lifted off. Sullivan glanced at Joshua with a stern look. "This goes beyond just capturing a scumbag, Lieutenant Commander Reed. You're an executive officer."

"As such, sir, it means I have to learn what it means to be a commander and to lead my own vessel."

"Remember that as we proceed with the operation."

Just then, an ensign called out. "Captain, we are receiving a radio transmission! Its not coming from any of our vessels!"

"Then where?!" Sullivan shouted in a mixture of confusion and exasperation.

"…The exact coordinates we're headed to, sir!"

Joshua's eyes widened. " _Death's Hand? Is he that bold…or stupid enough to call us?_ " Joshua shook himself from his thoughts, for now was not the time. "To hell with it. Answer it. Let's see what the man himself has to say."

Captain Sullivan nodded, albeit with a surprised expression. The ensign officer pressed a button, which enabled the radio.

"…-You fools!" A wheezy, slightly low voice shouted from the radio. "This is a message from Death's Hand to you! Tell your airborne friends to abort mission and YOU sail back!"

Captain Sullivan found himself cracking a grin. "Please don't tell me this is Death's Hand…" He walked over to the radio and spoke directly into it. "Tough words, scumbag! The Marines and Navy are here to drag your sorry ass to justice! Bring on all the guards and back up you've got!"

"Are you daft? I have NO back up! It's only me and I'm warning you to leave!"

The radio chatter briefly shifted to the marine unit that landed inland. "Kraken, this is Alpha team…there are no guards in sight. No drones or automated weapons of any kind. There is only a steel door before us. Be advised, over."

Their commanding officer's voice echoed from the radio. "You are clear to break in! Watch your fire; your orders are to take Death's Hand alive!"

"Copy that, sir! Let's get this done, boys!" The marines prepared explosive charges around the steel door, then backed away. "Now!" One of the marines pressed the detonator to blast the steel door several feet away, clean off its hinges. "HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD! IT'S OVER!"

Before them sat a man around his mid-thirties. His hair was black and shaggy, eyes sunken and bloodshot. "You idiots… You don't know what you're doing!" as he gestured surrender. "It's too late…you're all going to die here."

"Save it, jackass." A marine blurted out as he tackled Death's Hand on the ground and restrained him. "This is Alpha team. We have apprehended Death's Hand, repeat, we have apprehended Death's Hand. Proceeding to extraction, over."

Captain Sullivan grinned as he listened to the chatter; really, it was music to his ears after waiting for so long. "That's the sweet sound of justice. A proper show of force and your enemy just gives up."

Joshua grunted. " _This was too easy. Something's wrong…_ " He resisted the urge to grasp his abdomen, for a burning sensation overwhelmed it. " _But what is it…?_ "

"This is Alpha Team! We have left the base and headed back-" The marine's voice is cut off, followed by screams and gunfire. "GAH! A-Alpha Team to Kraken! Man down, we are under attack! Repeat, man down, we are under attack! Where the hell is it comin-GUAH!" Sounds of flesh tearing and terrified screams echo from the radio.

"What's going on?! Damn it, respond immediately!" Their commanding officer continued to demand in vain. "Bravo Team, get your asses in gear and back them up!"

Sullivan's eyebrows narrowed as anger settled in. "We have to move closer!"

"We need men on the mounted guns!" Joshua shouted to his fellow Navy men. "They need our help! Go, go, go!"

The many vessels sailed closer to Death Hand's island. As they prepared their arsenals, one sailor froze in fear next to Joshua.

"What's the matter!?" Exclaimed Joshua. "What's with that look?!"

The sailor's stare continued to widen. "S-s-s-s-sir! With all due respect, how do you NOT SEE THAT TANK!?"

Joshua turned to the direction the sailor pointed. "What tank?! I don't see a tank!"

Suddenly, an aircraft carrier next to them is blown wide open by an explosion, followed by its neighbor. The shockwaves rattled the ocean around them, leaving towering waves in their wake.

"GOD DAMN IT!" Cried the sailor. "IT'S THERE! 2 O' CLOCK! IT JUST FIRED AT US!"

"F-FIRE IN THAT DIRECTION!" Joshua shouted. He wasn't even sure if that was the right tactic, but he didn't know what to do besides to take the sailor's word for it. Ultimately, it was to no avail; the explosions continued.

"AAAAH! I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING! GAAAAH!" The cries of the Navy men echoed as they were thrown around by explosions and riddled from head to toe with shrapnel.

"I see one!" Shouted a Navy man next to Joshua. "Watch your six, Lieutenant Commander!" He pointed at what appeared to be just air and opened fire with his M4A1 carbine. "DIE, DAMN YOU!" Before the newly-named Lt. Commander knew it, an unseen force lacerated his face from seemingly nowhere. With one final breath, he fell on the floor as his trigger-finger doubled down and emptied what was left in his magazine.

Joshua stared at the body of his fallen comrade. His ears rang deaf because of this series of explosions.

"JOSHUA!" Sullivan's yell pierced through Joshua's shock-induced stupor. As he turned around, he found Sullivan trapped underneath broken pieces of the USS Rolling Thunder.

Quickly collecting himself, Joshua ignored his own injuries and rushed to Sullivan's aid, along with several other Navy men. "ONE…TWO…THREE…LIFT!" With a mighty heave, they lifted the bent and broken pieces and pulled Sullivan free.

"We have to retreat! We can't even see who's attacking!" Joshua's shouts are interrupted by yet another blast, likely a direct hit on the Rolling Thunder. Joshua and most of his comrades were thrown overboard as the Rolling Thunder nearly capsized. Luckily for them, they landed relatively close to the shore and crawled over. However, the Rolling Thunder was hit with yet another mysterious blast, scattering a mix of debris and shrapnel the air.

"Get out of the way, everyone!" Joshua motioned to his comrades. "We're skewered to hell if we stay here!" As they scrambled more inland, a disoriented Navy man stumbled onto the ground. Joshua ran back to lift him up, only for the shockwave to rob him of stable footing. As a piece of metal soared down towards them, Joshua pushed his comrade to the side, and…

SLICE!

Time slowed to a crawl in Joshua's mind as a searing heat permeated his body. He was now on the ground, his vision blurry. The only thing he could make out was something rolling away from him and sinking into the water. He turned his head slowly.

"Lieutenant…Commander….help, please…." Before Joshua, was the same Navy man he saved, now surrounded in a blaze of fire and trapped underneath pieces of Rolling Thunder's structure. His cries for help did not last long, as he succumbed to the flames. Sounds of aircraft filled the air as Sullivan waved desperately.

"Over here! We need an evac!" Sullivan ran to Joshua's side, looking frightened as could be. "Oh my lord….Crap, VTOLs! About damn time! We need to get the hell out of this hellhole! AND MEDICS!"

A medic team quickly sprinted out of the VTOL and worked quickly to gather as many injured and killed combatants as possible. Joshua was carefully placed on a stretched and quickly carried off to a spare VTOL. There, the medical team immediately performed first aid. Sullivan was also given first aid, though his injuries were not as major.

"This just went to hell in a handbasket real fast!" Sullivan shouted in near disbelief of the whole situation. What's the status of the carrier you took off from?!"

"Still sailing, Captain!" The pilot answered. "Its falling back with the remaining vessels! We will land there soon!"

Joshua groaned as he felt the medics tend to his wounds. The last image that flashed in his mind before he blacked out was the sight of his Navy comrade surrounded in flames…

As dawn slowly arrived, the explosions came to a halt. In the wake of the mysterious destruction, lied numerous dead Navy men and Marines. Some were covered in gashes, others were skewered or crushed by fragments of ships and Death Hand's base…and no sign of Death's Hand himself.


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: This fanfiction is dedicated to the 15 years of Bleach. Bleach is the original creation of Tite Kubo and is owned by its respective owners.**

 **Much faster than last upload. I aim to keep that up. Enjoy and any feedback is welcome**

* * *

"…The status of the operation to apprehend Death's Hand is still unknown to us at this time. All we know is that a series of explosions razed the area as the Navy and Marines arrived. Tune in as new details come to light…" An anchorman continued his reports in a small television in a hospital room.

On one of the hospital beds lied Joshua, whom was covered in bandages. As a nurse opened the door to check on him, sounds of a heated argument reached his ears from outside. One of the voices was Sullivan.

"…You're damn right this isn't acceptable! We got our asses handed to us royally out there! Worse, by something we couldn't even see!" A slam followed shortly, no doubt a defenseless wall fell victim to his frustration. "For god's sake, we even lost the bastard himself! Now we'll never know what the hell happened!"

"...no….nghh….oogh…" Groans escaped from Joshua's lips as he slowly opened his eyes. His head throbbed and his vision initially murky. Before he could collect himself, the nurse gasped.

"Oh my sweet lord, you're…! D-doctor!" The nurse rushed out of the room upon seeing Joshua's eyes open. As much as he tried to force himself up to get up and walk, his body ached and creaked in protest. Mere moments later, a doctor walked inside with Sullivan.

"Can…you hear us?" The doctor inquired.

With a pained groan, Joshua slowly nodded. "Where…am I…? How long…" Before he uttered another word, the doctor raised his hand and spoke.

"Easy…I know you have a lot of questions and I will do my very best to answer them."

"Just…give it to me straight…"

"…Of course. Now, you're back inland in California. You've been unconscious for about two days…"

An exasperated groan escaped Joshua's mouth as his eyes widened, but he stilled himself with rhythmic breathing. "Two days…tch, that's not too bad…I could be dead…" He sarcastically chuckled to not so subtly hide his frustration. "My whole body feels numb…"

The doctor looked at Sullivan and paused. "Of course, you were overwhelmed by explosions. In fact, we had to remove some shrapnel from your body." He gave a small, but warm smile. "Thankfully, none of them hit any vital spots. We were able to remove them all." His smile faded as he sighed. "However, there is…one thing we must address." He took a folder from his counter and took out an x-ray scan and placed it on a board. "This is an x-ray of your upper body."

Joshua blinked a few times to sharpen his vision. "What…" Only one word escaped his mouth as he looked at the x-ray. Apart from a couple of fractured ribs, there was one injury that caught his eye…

"You have to confront this now, Mr. Reed…a piece of the Rolling Thunder pierced your shoulder joint."

The doctor's voice slowly became muffled in Joshua's ears. His mind flashed back to two days prior, right after he pushed his Navy comrade away from danger. He continuously recalled the object rolling into the ocean over and over.

"N…nngh...ggh...!" Joshua painfully turned his head to the right and moved the bed sheets. "M…m….my…arm…MY ARM!" Joshua shook and swayed in the bed violently with a scream of terror.

"Damn it! He's going into shock!" The doctor quickly prepared a syringe as Sullivan restrained Joshua's panicked fit.

"Joshua, it'll be okay!" Sullivan yelled. "We will take care of you! Easy, son, easy!"

Suddenly, a voice cried from outside the room. "I'm going to see my fiancée! You're not going to stop me, god damn it!" The doors swung open, which revealed a distressed Brianna. Their eyes met, and it was almost enough to completely stop Joshua's fit.

"B-B-B-Bri…annaaaaaa…" Joshua could barely utter Brianna's name before devolving into stutters. His stutters are soon silenced as the doctor injected the sedative into Joshua's neck. As his vision gradually turned dark, he futilely reached his left arm towards Brianna.

Another two hours passed until Joshua was again awakened by the sounds of arguments. However, he regained full consciousness when two men dressed in black suits walked in.

"Hello there, Lt. Commander." One of the men spoke as he sat.

Joshua paused. "Are the 'men in black' agents going to make me forget about this mission being FUBAR?"

A chuckle escaped his mouth. "Sorry, not today. We need a clear understanding on what exactly happened. We've already interviewed some of your comrades. Most of them say they saw absolutely nothing…Yet, in a handful of other interviews, we were told that a giant dark tank with a white top was responsible for the destruction of various vessels. We want to know what you saw."

Joshua shook his head and sighed. "You really think you're going to get something different? I didn't see…" Suddenly, his train of thought derailed as his eyes scanned around the room. In his mind was the wreckage of the Rolling Thunder. "Wait…I recall something."

The second agent raised his head. "Go ahead, Lt. Commander."

As much as it pained him to remember, Joshua forced himself to. "An ensign…he pointed out the tank to me…I gave the order to fire at its direction. I knew it wasn't a sound tactic, but…I remember seeing shimmering waves."

"Shimmering waves?" The agent inquired. "You mean heat haze."

Joshua nodded. "But it had a distinct shape…"

The two agents looked at each other. "…Thank you for your time, Lt. Commander Reed. Your captain will speak to you again soon, after we are done talking." They stepped outside.

Mere minutes later, Sullivan walked in. In his hand was a piece of paper. "Glad you're awake, son…listen, you saved my sorry ass and I'm in your debt."

Joshua paused and sat up. "Can you tell me what you and those agents spoke about? You took some time getting here."

Sullivan grabbed a chair and sat next to him. "This is all speculation, but they believe an unseen group had a hand in Death Hand's kidnapping. They think said group has access to some kind of 'stealth camouflage'."

Joshua grunted angrily. "Now that's a crock of crap. Technology like that isn't widespread. Never mind having it on that "tank."

"Nothing you have to worry about, Joshua."

Joshua narrowed his eyebrows. "What are you-" Before he could utter another word, Sullivan passed a piece of paper to him. Written on the top, "Honorable Discharge."

"You're going home, Josh. You've done your part and then some. We're going to investigate this."

Joshua growled as he sat up. "No…! We lost good men out there! I lost good men! I was miraculously spared to know the truth!"

"There isn't much you can do in your condition." Sullivan sternly responded, without raising his voice too high. "…Your mother and Brianna asked for your release, and frankly, I can't blame them. You'll go home a hero and a lifesaver. Please, don't squander this. Take this opportunity to make up for lost time with Brianna."

Sullivan walked out of the room. At that moment, Brianna rushed in. A single glance at the discharge papers told her what she needed to know. She was glad to know he was coming home, but at the same time, it saddened her that this had to be the reason.

His mother, Claire, soon followed. "You're coming home, Joshua. We won't take no for an answer." Despite the violent quivering in her voice, it maintained a certain sternness. "You're not going to end up dead away from home like your dad… **understand**?"

Brianna walked over to Joshua and placed a ring on his leg. She presented her left hand, where a matching piece rested on her ring finger. "Let's go home…we'll figure something out with your arm, okay?" Brianna, hiding her emotions, gave him a smile.

Joshua held Brianna's hand and smiled back. "I'm already home. I'm finally with you now."

* * *

Elsewhere, in the Seireitei, two Soul Reapers walked through a large corridor. Both were of considerable height, but with different builds. One was athletic in build, with brown shoulder-length hair and a sealed Zanpakuto akin to a Japanese nodachi strapped on his back. The other, while still having plenty of muscle, was… portly. His hair, styled in a taper fade and combed to the side. A pair of tantos that could be described as trench knives attached lied at the side of his hips. Both bore armbands with the "Eleventh Division" insignia etched on it. As they neared a door, a bespectacled woman with dark blue hair awaited them.

"Lieutenant Nanao Ise!" The portly Soul Reaper greeted with a wide smile. "Good morning."

Nanao adjusted her grip on her book and spoke with a stern, but nonaggressive tone. "Yes, good morning…Russ, was it?"

Russ clenched his fists to flex his forearm muscles. "Yup, 5th Seat 'Iron Fist Russell!'…but yeah, you can call me Russ." Russ quickly cleared his throat and ceased his "manly" display.

Nanao, ignoring Russ's moment of self-promotion, turned her attention to his nodachi wielding friend. "And you are the 4th Seat, Kentaro Kamiya, correct?"

Kentaro shook his head. "Kentaro Yasuke. But never mind our names, lieutenant Ise; what do you need us for? Aren't you usually playing shadow to the Captain?"

"For your information..." leered a bemused Nanao after that comment. "You've been assigned to patrol an area that saw a spike in Hollow activity. Yumichika Ayasegawa has already been briefed and will be leading you. The 12th Division suspect that some form of Hollow bait was used, but we don't know anything for sure."

Russ flashed a grin. "Leave it to us! We'll meet up with Yumichika and get this mess sorted out."

Nanao's lingering ire slowly faded. "Well, we appreciate that, Russ. He's waiting outside. Oh, and the next time I hear a jab like that, Kentaro…" Nanao took off her glasses and stared a piercing stare right through Kentaro.

Kentaro's eye twitched as the lieutenant's famously unsettling glare set in. "Tch…pardon me, lieutenant Ise. Forget I asked..." As they made their way outside, Kentaro turned his attention to Russ. "Russ, pray tell, how do you look at Nanao in the eye when she has… _that_ face? It's like she can stare daggers on _command._ "

"Pah!" Russ blurted. "Daggers? All I felt comin' from her was confidence. A real no-nonsense professional woman, she is!" A toothy smile stretched along his face as he waxed praise.

"I think I'll live longer if I pretend I never heard that." Kentaro slowly shook his head as he tried to count out just how many years that took off his life.

Outside, they are met by a man with jaw-length black hair styled in a bob cut. Underneath his shihakusho is an orange turtleneck. Over it is a white cape. He bore the same 11th Division insignia on his arm.

"I take it Lieutenant Nanao broadly informed you two of the mission on hand?" He spoke as he brushed a few strands of hair back from his eyes.

"She sure did, Yumichika." Russ answered as he gave a casual salute to his superior. "Something bothered me about it though. She said the 12 Division suspected some form of Hollow bait was used. That alone implies the work of a Quincy, don't it?"

"Hm, exactly. Which is why we're headed there to confirm it. But let's not jump into conclusions, my…portly friend. Let's go through the Senkaimon already."

They continued their walk until they arrived on a large courtyard. A group of Soul Reapers, who wore face concealing black and white robes, awaited them in front of a giant gate. One of them presented Yumichika a black butterfly-like insect, as the others opened the Senkaimon.

"Whatever we find there, I hope we can find a few Hollows." Kentaro gripped his sealed Zanpakuto. "I didn't wait all this time to become 4th seat to fight no one..."

As they passed through, they shortly arrived in an island, where Death's Hand's base lied scattered and ruined.

Kentaro inhaled deeply and looked around. "It reeks of death here…"

Yumichika nodded in agreement. "Let's scout the area and…look alive, you two. I sense we are not alone…"

The three Soul Reapers carefully scouted the terrain, while they suppressed their spiritual pressure. Eventually, amongst the rubble, they spotted four small Hollow. They nibbled on the few rotting corpses left on the island.

"This isn't enough to satisfy me…" The smallest one complained. "Damned souls have already been taken…"

"Shame we missed out on the main event." The biggest one, no doubt the "alpha" of the pack, blurted. "I bet Kinoshita enjoyed a nice helping, the fat bastard he is-!" Suddenly, with a mere swipe, his whole body was bifurcated. The slash was followed by countless of horizontal slashes, which reduced his body to ribbons before vanishing into nothingness. Behind him stood Kentaro with a wide grin.

"I do believe I just heard the name 'Kinoshita.' Well? DID I?!" Kentaro's grin was quickly replaced with a piercing scowl.

The other three Hollows, having just witnessed their leader be obliterated effortlessly, were paralyzed with fear.

Kentaro sheathed his Zanpakuto and continued his glare. "You know something about that freak, do you?! I gave your little friend a quick death. I won't be so generous with you. Tell me what you know about Kinoshita and I'll make your deaths quick…"

"Sheesh, so much for stealth." Russ caught up with Kentaro as he spoke in a casual tone. Clearly, he was familiar with this violent side of his partner. His Zanpakuto pair remained sheathed, as he knew Kentaro would be more than a match for lowly Hollows.

"Hm!" Yumichika exclaimed. "You might want to look at this." Yumichika carefully ran his blade across the dirt and uncovered bits and pieces of sparkling material. "There is no doubt about this; this has to be from a Hollow bait."

"Best to salvage it and send it to R&D for an official confirmation, Yumi." Russ continued his nonchalant tone as he turned his attention to Kentaro with slight worry in his eyes. "Hey, Ken-"

"Not now, Russ! Yumichika found one piece of the puzzle and I'm getting the other piece! You sorry lot know about Kinoshita! Where is he?!"

"I-I-I don't know!" A Hollow stammered as Kentaro's spiritual pressure started to rise. "We just know he attacked this place! He was gone when we arrived!"

"Well ain't that just convenient? I just HAD to miss him!" As he shouted "Had", he furiously swung his sword out of the sheath. As he sheathed it and exhaled, the second biggest Hollow across from him split in half and dissipated, which left two more. "…I'm going to leave you two be. When you see that 'fat bastard' again, tell him a very pissed off Soul Reaper is going to tear him apart. That's no threat, it's a promise."

The two Hollows yelped in fear as they opened a small hole in the air and jumped in. An exasperated Yumichika grunted in slight annoyance.

"Are you REALLY sure that was the best course of action?" Yumichika sighed as he collected the Holow bait pieces.

Kentaro waved his hand to the side. "I killed two, I spared two. Even trade."

"…Anyway, it looks like we found all we needed to find here. Looks like we can already report back. Shame, I was expecting more of a fight to get my blood flowing..."

Russ shook his head. "Not sure if I should be relieved or not if that thing turns out to be bait. That'll just raise more questions…maybe Kinoshita stole one from a dead Vandenreich member?"

Yumichika positioned his Zanpakuto in front of him as a Senkaimon appeared before him. "Whatever we say at this point is merely conjecture and hypothesis. Nothing concrete. All we can do is head back and go from there. Ready?"

Kentaro bit his lower lip. Their investigation surely got them somewhere. But in his mind, not fast enough. He was not any closer to Kinoshita, nor was there any explanation for the mysterious Hollow bait. Their investigation has only begun…


End file.
